Diplomacy (9/27)
Title: Diplomacy ( Table of Contents)
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize is mine. I gain nothing of material value from this.
Pairings: Gen.
Chapter1a-- 1b Chapter2 Chapter3 Chapter4 Chapter5a-- 5b Chapter6 Chapter7 Chapter8 Chapter9 Chapter10 Chapter11a-- 11b Chapter12 Chapter13a-- 13b Chapter14a-- 14b Chapter15a-- 15b Chapter16 Chapter17a-- 17b Chapter18 Chapter19 Chapter20 Chapter21 Chapter22 Chapter23 Chapter24 Chapter25 Chapter26 Epilogue
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Kin
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19 August 1998; Nagada, Abydos; 1400 hrs
Daniel looked up at the quiet sound of footsteps crunching on loose soil outside. He poked his head out and looked down at the ground where Jack was looking up, turning in a circle and clearly confused about where he was and where to go. "Here, Jack, this way," he called down, pointing to the correct ramp that would lead him up.
"So this is your house?" Jack asked, making his way up the ramp and across the hanging crosswalk that connected the upper level of one building with another. He pushed aside the curtain in the doorway and leaned against the mud brick entrance just as Daniel finished tucking his father's dusty, slightly bent glasses into his own glasses case and stuffed them into his pack.
"My house," Daniel repeated, partly in confirmation and partly to hear the words. He thought of his room at the SGC as 'his room,' but never had anything been 'his house' before, not without being someone else's first and foremost. Jack had been trying to make his house Daniel's as much as his own, sharing space and chores when they were both there; it still felt a little like Jack's house that he often visited to spend the night or the weekend, though, and it didn't help that they weren't often free to leave base at the same time.
This space up here was where he'd lived, true, but it felt somehow less familiar than even Jack's house, empty as it was of the two people who had made it their home for fifteen years. It was his house, perhaps, but not his home.
"How are you afraid of heights?" Jack said, leaning over the railing of the crosswalk to look at the ground below them.
"What?" Daniel said.
"I mean, in the Hall of Thor's Might..."
Daniel blushed a little at how everyone had been braver than he'd been, but said in his own defense, "That beam was barely wide enough for a foot to stand on it. And it was a lot higher than this building." It had looked that way, anyhow.
"Point," Jack conceded. "Need help with anything?"
Daniel shook his head, putting down a bag full of books and carefully lifting a small statue from the handmade shelf and turning it over in his hands.
Odd that he thought of the shelf specifically as 'handmade.' Only a year ago, 'handmade' had been the only possibility, and the furniture of Earth had seemed foreign exactly because everything had been made with machines that made Abydonian machines look primitive.
"What's with the bird?" Jack asked, peering at the little statue from where he still stood outside.
"It's a representation of Ra, with the head of a falcon," Daniel said.
"I thought the falcon was Heru-ur."
"It is, but it's associated with the sun and other deities as well. That's why both Ra and Heru-ur were protected by Horus Guards," he answered, squinting at the top of the clay figure. He huffed and shook his head, holding it up for Jack to see. "My mother made this. It was one of her favorites."
"Your...mother," Jack repeated. "Made a statue of Ra. This is the Ra that she helped kill?"
"I never understood it before," Daniel admitted, "but now...look, look at the head. I always thought he was wearing a...a simplified pharaoh's crown with the sun disk on top, but I can see it now--it's actually Earth's point of origin on the Stargate."
Jack raised his eyebrows and leaned closer to look. "Cool," he said, looking honestly amused. "That's clever."
Its proportions weren't quite right, but it was unmistakably the glyph of the Tau'ri. At least, it was unmistakable to him now that he'd seen the glyph so often, though he'd never noticed before. How very much like his mother to sculpt a figurine that would seem unremarkable among the people and culture here for years to come but was actually a parody of the tyrant god, a private joke to those who remembered and knew the truth. Her effigy of Ra would be forever forced to wear the symbol of those who had defeated him.
"She must've liked art, huh," Jack commented, still standing in the doorway, glancing around at the other statuettes that stood at intervals around the house.
Daniel smiled, remembering the concentration on his mother's face as she kneaded and cut and pressed a ball of clay into shape. His father had tried but had never become as skilled, not with clay. Sha'uri hadn't been very interested in sculpting but had often joined Claire to chat and exchange town gossip. Skaara and Daniel had had competitions to see who could manage to sneak in and steal one of the women's sculpting tools without being caught.
"Yes, she did. She said art was what initially drew her to artifacts of other cultures and then to archaeology." And then to Melburn Jackson, and, from there, to their home on Abydos. Ironic, then, that now it was Daniel's attempt to carry on their work that was drawing him away.
"She was good at it, too," Jack said, nodding at the statue. "That doesn't look easy. So, ah...can I come in, or should I...?"
Glancing up in surprise, Daniel said, "Of course. Uh, come in."
The Tau'ri kept their doors closed and locked all the time. He did that now, too, with his own room on base and with Jack's front door, but he had forgotten that habit as soon as he'd stepped into Nagada. The important buildings here had wooden doors, and the entire town was surrounded by a sturdy, wooden gate to protect them from sandstorms, but heavy cloth served that purpose well enough for most places, and wood was too difficult to obtain and work and maintain in large enough quantities for everyone's house to have a barricade. The part of him that had grown used to the SGC worried reflexively about security, and the part of him that was still fiercely Abydonian hoped it would never have cause to change.
Jack stepped further into the small living area, looking around curiously. "Are you taking everything here back to Earth?"
"Not everything." Daniel picked up a dusty length of cloth in the corner--his father's robes--and wrapped it around his mother's clay statue, placing the cushioned bundle gently in his pack on top of the books. Then Jack shoved the tac vest Daniel had set aside into his face until he took it and put it back on over his shirt.
"You can bring whatever you'd like," Jack said. "SG-3's going back home with us--I can make the jarheads help you carry stuff."
The Jacksons' house was smaller than most, but it was also more private. It had originally been the upper level of another home that someone had been kind enough to share after the Rebellion; The lower level had been abandoned a few years ago, the daughter married into another house and the elderly father laid to rest, but no one had taken that house since, and the Jacksons hadn't needed the extra space. There weren't many important things that Daniel could take with him.
Also, Daniel could imagine the look on Colonel Makepeace's face if he and his team were told to act as beasts of burden. "No, Jack, carrying things isn't the issue. Kasuf wouldn't let anyone touch this place before, but from now on, it'll be used by as something like a schoolhouse. We used it for lessons before, anyway, so I'm leaving most of the texts here for them to use."
Jack looked skeptically at the pack at Daniel's feet. "You're leaving...most of them. Really."
Daniel gestured at the walls, pulling back a curtain that had been hung over the shelves of books to protect them from sand and weather. "Yes, Jack. Really."
"Whoa. I know there weren't that many when we came here the first time," Jack said, idly picking out a large textbook and weighing it in his hand before scanning the title.
"We had fifteen years to write and record things," he pointed out. "That's why--Jack, give me..." Daniel took the book away from him and put it back in its place.
Jack peered curiously at the mix of bound books and rolled scrolls that lined the walls. "That one was English."
"All the textbooks and dictionaries from Earth are staying here. If I ever need one of them...well, I'll be on Earth. Seinah has taken charge, and she and some of the others can read English well enough to tutor younger children, but they need something to read and tutor from. The older students are familiar with the kinds of lessons we used to hold here."
"Seinah? Friend of yours?" Jack asked.
Daniel shrugged. "I know her. She's from Skaara's age set and used to come here to study with my parents."
"Ah." Jack's eyes drifted to his pack. "So what's all that?"
He lifted it onto his back a little self-consciously. "Just personal...things I didn't want to leave behind." Journals, mostly, but there were some small trinkets here and there, too, that wouldn't mean anything to anyone else, anyway. He stepped out of his parents' last home, then turned and looked back at Jack, who still stood inside. "I'm finished here. Is everyone still in Kasuf's house?"
"Yeah, just chatting. They'll head over to the 'gate room soon," Jack said, "but take your time; I'll walk you back when you're ready. You have as long as you need."
Daniel's first thought was that he'd taken his time two days ago, visiting his parents' grave, lingering in the sun, and it had given Heru-ur his window to attack.
"What did you and Kasuf talk about after I left?" Daniel asked. They had explained everything to Kasuf, but while he had seemed accepting and had asked to return to the SGC with them to meet General Hammond, Daniel had had a hard time meeting the elder's eyes. He'd barely finished getting out the story of how they'd lost Sha'uri before the elder had shooed him toward his old house to take care of a few last things; Daniel had been hard-pressed not to show his relief. "Is he angry?"
"No. Well, yes," Jack said, then quickly finished, "but not at you. He's upset about his daughter, obviously, and he's mad at the Goa'uld. Tobay already explained about meeting Heru-ur here, and he's not really surprised about what happened afterward on Cimmeria. He's glad his grandson is safe, Daniel."
Daniel grimaced. "And about keeping him on Earth until we find Kheb?"
Jack hesitated, then said, "Kasuf knows it's not safe to bring the Harsesis here until we know more. And he trusts you."
But Jack didn't. The debriefing after Cimmeria had made that abundantly clear.
To be fair, it was more that Jack didn't trust that Sha'uri had actually been in control when she'd begged them to take her son to some place they'd never heard of, added to the fact that they had no clue where it was, how to start looking for it, or what they would find there. They'd all heard Sha'uri's plea, though, and the general was willing to give Daniel and Robert time to do more research on Kheb, so Jack hadn't argued about it too hard so far.
"Actually," Jack said, "come back in here for a minute--you need to... There's something else he told us."
"What's wrong?" Daniel said apprehensively, recognizing the unhappy but hard look on the older man's face.
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a gray, metallic ball that looked slightly crushed on one side. "Do you recognize what this is?" Daniel took the ball from him, feeling like it was familiar for some reason, but he couldn't quite place it and shook his head. "It's a device that the Goa'uld use for long-range communications."
"I saw something like this on Apophis's hatak," Daniel realized. "It was bigger, but I think he was using it to communicate with Klorel and their Jaffa."
"Well, apparently these are like...like the handheld radio of Goa'uld communications systems," Jack said. He made a face. "Kasuf had this one."
Daniel looked up, shocked. "What? But that's impossible."
"He wasn't hiding it or anything," Jack said quickly. "He handed it right over to us and asked if we knew what it was. Apparently, he saw his daughter using it once, right after Apophis first returned her here."
"No," Daniel denied, staring at the ball. Like a handheld radio, it would be good for private communications. Or for spying. "Jack."
"He also saw her smash it herself, a week or so after that," Jack said. "According to Teal'c, she told you guys that Amaunet was still a little in control when she was first dropped here. Right?" Daniel didn't answer. Jack took that for the affirmation it was. "So. Maybe Amaunet used it to contact Apophis once or twice."
"No," he insisted again, but more unsteady now. "But...she--"
"Apophis came through the Stargate two days ago," Jack interrupted. "Sha'uri wasn't here last year when I told Tobay how long to keep it buried, but somehow, Apophis knew. The only way he could've found out was if he'd been in contact with someone here, on Abydos, at some point over the last year. And Teal'c says these tele-ball dealies aren't secure, so if Heru-ur was eavesdropping on Apophis's conversations...that might be how he knew, too."
"It could've been--"
"And you have to have Goa'uld-levels of naquadah in the blood to use these things. Carter thinks she might be able to engineer one to respond to regular humans, but...well..."
"But not without a level of technology that we don't have here on Abydos," Daniel finished.
Jack nodded. "Only Amaunet could have leaked it to Apophis. There's no one else."
Sha'uri. Daniel took a breath. Let it out. "Oh."
"Now," Jack continued, "this is what we're thinking. Amaunet used it. And then, your sister found out what was going on and took it and made sure it wouldn't be used again."
"Maybe," Daniel said, still staring at the communication device, at the way part of the surface was caved in. Someone had thrown this very hard, or hit it very hard, or...or done something Sha'uri never would have approved of normally. Sha'uri was gentle--not docile, but her weapon was her tongue and her mind, not her arm. How terrified had she been, then, or how angry, how hurt? "So, you're saying...that means..."
"That means we're not suspicious about anyone here. We already knew Amaunet was an enemy, and we're not pointing fingers to find new ones. That's a good thing."
"Okay," Daniel said numbly.
"But."
"Jack, don't..."
"But," Jack pressed, "it also means that we can't be sure who was talking to us on Cimmeria."
"It was Sha'uri," Daniel said. Jack didn't answer. "Jack. It was my sister. She was...you don't know her. She's...she's stronger than Amaunet. And that was her son, okay, she was talking about her son, and what she wants us to do to keep him safe, so if there was ever a time when she'd find a way to win over Amaunet..."
"That was Amaunet's son, too," Jack said.
Daniel turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose, not moving until the doubt went away. When he turned back, Jack was watching him. "I'm not going to stop looking for Kheb."
"Yeah," Jack said. "I know. I'm not asking you to, and I'm not saying you're wrong, because maybe you're not. Just...we have to consider the possibility."
He nodded, pushing the ball back toward Jack. He didn't want it. "Can we go? Please?"
"In a minute," Jack said, and Daniel wanted to leave right now just as much as he wanted never to leave. "Put down your pack and...and listen for a minute, okay? We've gotta talk."
Something plummeted in the vicinity of Daniel's stomach. He sat down on the dusty pallet of his old, long-unused bed, knowing that it put him in the position of looking up at Jack, but it was deliberate, because this was the reprimand he was supposed to have gotten yesterday, and he wasn't fighting for dominance now.
Jack opened his mouth, then closed it, plunged his hands into his pockets, and stared at him. Daniel tried not to look away, but he ended up with nowhere else to look but to stare back, until he couldn't stand it anymore and blurted, "Jack, just say it."
"I'm thinking," Jack snapped, pulling his hands out and taking off his hat, only to bend it twice between his hands and put it back on again. "All right, stand up. I'm not doing this looking down at you."
Confused, Daniel let his backpack slide gently off his shoulders and stood.
"Daniel, I don't want you being..." Jack waved a hand in a way that told Daniel nothing at all. "No, wait, start over. You freaked us the hell out last time we were here."
"Habit," Daniel heard himself say, then blinked, not really sure where that had come from.
Jack snorted. "Yeah, well, that kind of thing hasn't always been...exactly...your fault, but you had a choice this time. There is no excuse for doing that to us or to yourself, and I don't want it happening again, is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"And stop that, dammit. The 'sir'-ing. You're not one of my soldiers." Daniel chewed his lower lip. Jack sighed. "I don't want you to be one of my soldiers. Okay?"
"Oh. Good," Daniel said, relieved, because he'd been afraid Jack might change his mind about that after he'd shown last time how much he wasn't a soldier. It was part of any societal etiquette, the way a person was addressed, and maybe it helped to remind him about listening when he needed to bow to others' expertise, but Jack was his friend first and Colonel O'Neill second, not the other way around like he was to Sam, so he could say 'sir' and it wouldn't mean the same thing that it did when she said it.
"Unless we're in a...something like Cimmeria again," Jack added. "Or, you know. Sometimes I need you to listen and do what I say."
"I understand," Daniel said, which was strange, because he thought he did even though he had a feeling he and Jack wouldn't always agree on what those times would be. When it was necessary, though, there was no one he trusted to give him orders more than the members of SG-1.
"Yeah," Jack said, his eyes narrowing like he was searching for words. "You know, I've learned to trust you, Daniel."
"But...?"
"There's no 'but,'" Jack said, exasperated. "We trust your...your instincts or whatever it is that comes out of your head. You should've trusted us with it instead of forcing us into it."
Daniel nodded. He was still pretty sure he'd been doing the right thing in going to Cimmeria, ultimately, but he was starting to realize that there were other ways he could have gone about it.
Jack scratched his head. "That said, people've done worse things. I wouldn't've done the same things you did, and you did one hell of a job once we actually got to Cimmeria, all right? Did a lot better than I hoped you'd have to learn, actually. But you went about it the wrong way, and I need you to understand that there's no excuse for it."
"I'm sorry," Daniel said.
"I'm not looking for 'sorry,'" Jack told him.
"I didn't mean to scare you or put you in danger."
"Well, just try not to do it so much. Look, I get it, the customs are...whatever. It's just, in the US, people your age aren't even allowed to drive."
Daniel furrowed his brow, confused. "What customs are what? And I'm not trying to...drive...you mean cars?"
"That's not what I'm...I mean, you shouldn't even..." Jack grimaced. "Okay. I'm just saying, we've put a lot of stuff on your plate, and you've taken it. You just...need to..."
"Let someone else drive?" Daniel suggested, fairly sure there hadn't originally been a metaphor intended, but Jack looked relieved.
"Exactly. Maybe Rothman puts you in charge of people studying Goa'uld back on base, but in the field, you're not the commander. You can be the...backseat driver for your commander, but the...the keys should...stay..." He trailed off, a hand still in the air like he was in the middle of some gesture that he'd aborted halfway through. "Ah, never mind."
"I get it," Daniel assured him.
"Really?"
"I think so. Pay more attention to my commander?"
Jack sucked in a breath and puffed out his cheeks, then let it out. "That's not exactly...yeah, okay."
"That's not it?" Daniel asked.
"It's...close enough. You don't take command in the field, at least not with stuff like this; you advise your commander and then do what he decides, or the team falls apart."
"Okay," Daniel said. It wasn't a difficult concept; it was just hard to adhere to sometimes.
"Good," Jack said.
"You're not mad at me?" Daniel blurted.
Jack stared at him again without answering for a while. "You're a maddening person," he finally said.
Taken aback, Daniel frowned. "Oh. Well...so are you," he said, thinking it was childish but unable to think of a better response.
"Yeah, well," Jack said, and failed to finish yet another sentence. "My other point is, maybe you're not used to this team deal, but whether we're on base or off-world, you have people you can count on. I know you're planning on looking after the Harsesis on top of everything else, and, take it from me, that's not gonna be easy. So. You got us." Daniel nodded, but before he could speak, Jack cleared his throat and said, "And you have hand-to-hand with me and Carter tomorrow at 1400."
"Really?"
"You think you're off the hook from training because you skipped off in the middle of a mission?"
He knew, though, that being told to report for training meant he was still being trained, a reminder that some things were remaining normal. "Thank you. I'll remember."
"Also, Teal'c took your spare backpack and filled it with rocks," Jack said. "He said something about ladders. I didn't ask, but...you're warned." Daniel suppressed a groan and only nodded--Teal'c's idea of training had been steadily increasing in difficulty as he learned that a few sore muscles wouldn't break a human. "So...you're sure you don't need any more time here?"
"I'm sure," Daniel said, moving now toward the doorway and lingering to run a hand over the stone before he stepped out onto the crosswalk.
"You'll have chances to come back," Jack said.
"I know."
Jack reached an arm toward him, paused, then pulled it back, opting to rest his hands on his gun instead. Daniel was grateful to be allowed to walk out of Nagada next to the man, instead of being ushered out, but he moved a step closer nonetheless as they made their way down the ramp and into the narrow street.
Whispering followed them, but, unlike the last time he'd come--two days ago; had it really been only two days?--the people knew what was going on this time, and he had had time to say his farewells. No one stopped them, but a young woman stepped out of the crowd.
"Seinah," Daniel greeted, inclining his head slightly in the polite respect afforded to someone several years his elder but a peer in their shared occupation as scholars. "I wish you well, until we see one another again."
Seinah returned the greeting, answering deliberately in careful English. "And you, Dan'yel. Perhaps we can study together when you will return."
Thinking of the stretches of caves and all the structures that were still left unexplored--there was an entire planet of repressed culture and hidden, ancient knowledge, after all--he replied, "I would like that." Maybe General Hammond would approve a mission to Abydos sometime, for an archaeological survey, and Robert would bring him along. He could hope. "I hope Skaara will be with me next time."
She dropped her eyes for barely a second before raising them again. "We would want you to..." She hesitated, unsure of the word, then said simply, "I am certain he will ask you to sha'loki, but perhaps I may ask you for him, in his absence?"
"Of course, when he returns," he answered immediately, gratified to see her brighten wistfully. "I would be honored."
Seinah turned to Jack, then, bowing lower. "We are grateful for your people's help, O'Neill. Colonel O'Neill."
"No problem," Jack answered. "We're glad to have Abydos on our side."
She moved back, and, as they stepped out into the uninhabited desert, Jack commented, "Your friend is a pretty girl."
"Mm-hm," Daniel agreed absently, turning around for a last glimpse of the town through the gates.
"You two used to...ah...study together a lot?"
"Sure, when she came to Nagada. Seinah is from the mountains of Kalima, and we have strong relations with them for trading purposes. Why?"
Jack snorted in amusement. "Never mind. Guess not."
Daniel shrugged, feigning ignorance of the teasing innuendo to avoid having to explain that Seinah had been almost betrothed to Skaara before Apophis's attack.
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19 August 1998; SGC, Earth; 1800 hrs
In the end, both Kasuf and Tobay went through to the SGC. It wasn't difficult to convince them to agree to keep the Stargate open and allow SG personnel to establish better protective measures. Kasuf still remembered the days before the first-aid supplies and basic technologies from the 1982 mission had been depleted, and if Tobay had been too young to have more than a vague recollection, his faith in the Tau'ri had not been shaken so far.
There were other issues, however, and details that Daniel hadn't realized a negotiation would entail, so he was happy to let the general and Kasuf lead the discussion, serving simply as translator and bridge between them.
First was the question of whether the SGC was dealing with Nagada or Abydos.
Kasuf had pointed out that the SGC was represented at this table by one team--SG-1, the flagship team--one general, and one physician; they could not speak for all of Earth. While Kasuf led the council of all the elders on Abydos, and although Nagada was the central town of Abydos, their dealings so far had been with Nagada alone, and Kasuf could not decide for the rest without speaking to them first. Moreover, the Stargate and the naquadah mine, the two foci of their agreement, were both within Nagada's limits.
"Perhaps," Daniel suggested, "current activities can be restricted to Nagada, but there's no reason that can't be extended or renegotiated later if other settlements express an interest."
"And then," Kasuf agreed, "Earth may speak with the seshmit of that town."
"Their leader," Daniel clarified.
"That sounds reasonable," General Hammond said. "What we offer in terms of defensive technology really only applies to the Stargate, at least for now, which is in your territory, Kasuf. Frankly, we don't know very much about towns outside of Nagada, but I'd be open to the possibility of further relations."
"What of the men who remain in Nagada now?" Tobay asked, his eyes flicking to Daniel to translate.
"We'll station a unit at the Stargate until the iris is functional," General Hammond said. "SG-8 will be sent to Abydos later today to begin installation, so we'll withdraw our security force within a few days, once everyone's clear on how the iris operates. SG-6 will oversee the mining operation, so they'll stay around longer, if you don't mind."
"The mine is outside Nagada proper, General," Daniel said. "Elder Kasuf says he would prefer that the operation remain outside the walls, but the men themselves are welcome within the village. There's an empty residence below my old house where SGC personnel can take shelter at night, and enough people there speak both languages that communication should not be difficult."
"We will interfere with your daily lives as little as possible," the general confirmed to Kasuf.
"Our medic on SG-8 would like to speak with your physicians," Janet said, speaking for the first time. "Daniel tells us some of our medical technology may be of benefit to your people, and we are always trying to improve our medical capabilities, as well."
There followed a discussion about medical aid and an exchange of knowledge, and Daniel discovered to his chagrin how many words there were in English without Abydonian counterparts and how difficult it was to explain an Abydonian disease or practice to Janet, especially when he didn't have the medical expertise to know exactly what he was trying to explain.
Eventually, the fine details were straightened out as far as they could be, and there was one thing left to discuss.
"What of my son?" Kasuf asked.
Jack frowned. "Ah...well, Skaara is--"
"He means the son of Sha'uri, yes?" Daniel interrupted. When Kasuf confirmed, he made a mental note that part of the cultural briefing for new SG teams and translators should include a reminder that kinship terms were different everywhere. Sharemes was a son to Kasuf, and if Daniel wanted to call him 'son,' as well, many on Abydos would think nothing of it, though the Tau'ri might find it strange. He'd find it strange himself, in this tongue, so 'brother' would suffice.
"Right," Jack said. "Your daughter told us not to bring him to Abydos. Some Goa'uld may still look for him there, and it'd be harder to protect him."
"This is true," Kasuf said. "But remember that he is not your child or your tool. I thank you your help, but I leave the boy here in the care of Dan'yel, not to Earth."
"Elder," Daniel said quickly, "the people here are good, and I don't know how to care for a baby."
"We will ensure the baby's care," Janet said. "That's not in question."
"But as part of the war..." Sam said, then trailed off with a glance in his direction.
Daniel thought of how many people would like to conduct tests on someone who knew anything at all about the Goa'uld, baby or not. Daniel himself and everyone else in the SGC would be happy to learn anything they could about the Goa'uld, too, for that matter. "If we learn that he can be helpful to our side in the war, we shouldn't ignore that," he said. "But we also need to remember that he's a human child first. He has rights just as any other."
The general met Daniel's eyes, then said, "You, Kasuf, will of course have final say in all decisions regarding what happens to the boy. Mr. Jackson can stand in as your agent in those matters, especially concerning the war with the Goa'uld, as long as he operates within the regulations of the SGC. For all medical purposes, Mr. Jackson will be considered next of kin while the Harsesis child is on Earth." The general turned to him, asking, "You agree?"
Daniel swallowed the last of his apprehension, said, "Yes, sir," and inclined his head to Kasuf in acceptance as well.
"If that's settled," the general said, "would you like to see your grandson, Kasuf?"
As Tobay waited in the embarkation room, Janet led the way through the halls of the SGC and to the door of the infirmary. "Right in here, sir," she said, gesturing inside. "I'll be in my office if you need anything." Daniel stepped in first, letting Kasuf finish looking around the complex in fascination before following.
"This is where the physicians work?" Kasuf asked. "What are all these machines?"
"Yes, it is, and these are tools that they use to...to detect and treat illnesses and injuries," Daniel answered, moving past the beds in the main part of the infirmary and into the side room where Sharemes stayed. "In here, the physicians, their assistants, and I have all been watching over the baby. Please."
Kasuf nodded once, then moved toward Sharemes's sleeping form. A nurse looked up at their approach, then returned to reading something on her desk when she saw who they were.
Kasuf seemed as mesmerized by the infant as Daniel himself had been--and still was, much of the time--and didn't take his eyes from Sharemes for several long moments. Finally, he reached down to touch the thin tuft of dark hair already beginning to sprout on the newborn scalp.
Immediately, the baby stirred and whimpered, his tiny forehead wrinkling and his eyes screwing tight. Recognizing the signs now after a day of anxious watching, Daniel hurriedly scooped the infant into his arms as the whimpers became distressed cries. "Sharemes," he whispered into his baby brother's ear, hoping to stave off the storm of wailing that had become commonplace in this part of the infirmary over the last day. "Kasuf has come to see you, little brother. Shh, don't cry."
Miraculously, Sharemes quieted for once, so Daniel lowered his arms enough for Kasuf to see.
"Sharemes," Kasuf repeated slowly, an odd look passing over his face.
Daniel felt heat rise to his face in embarrassment, even as he tried to push back the pain of loss that the baby's dark eyes never failed to raise in him. "It was not my place, Elder, but the people here...well, their customs are different. I did not want him to remain nameless."
"Thank you, Dan'yel. It is a good name," the elder said, then tentatively held out his arms. Daniel carefully passed the baby over to him. Sharemes's eyes drifted open to fix on Kasuf, who pressed his lips together for a moment to stop them from trembling. "He is...a beautiful child. As beautiful as his mother."
Daniel could only nod in agreement.
"I will give him his beautiful name," Kasuf continued. "My daughter hoped one day to bear a child who would bring light and joy upon her family. Perhaps, in these dark times, that is what we most need. I will call her child Shifu."
The baby's lips lifted in a smile. Not really a smile; the nurse said that movements like that weren't true smiles, not yet, but it looked so happy that Daniel couldn't help smiling back. "Shifu," he said, rolling the word over his tongue. "I have heard traders from the Djon'go village use that word, yes?"
"It is an ancient word. I do not know whether it is from this planet or ours. It means 'enlightenment.' 'Light.''"
"Light. Shifu," Daniel repeated, stroking a finger down the baby's soft cheek. Shifu wriggled in Kasuf's arms, one hand flailing about and finally curling around Daniel's finger.
Kasuf sighed. "It seems he wishes to remain here, as well. You are certain of this place called Kheb, that something there can help him?"
"It is what Sha'uri told us," Daniel said in answer. "I hoped you might know of it somehow."
"I know only the same stories that you know," Kasuf said, though.
Daniel hadn't expected an easy answer, but he had to hide his disappointment, anyway. "The Tau'ri have other allies--perhaps one of them has heard of it," he assured Kasuf, even though some of those other allies, like the Nox and the Asgard, didn't talk to them, while others, like Bra'tac, couldn't contact them for fear of revealing himself. "If we can learn something there about Shar--Shifu, something that can ensure that he is safe, I will bring him back to you."
Shifu squirmed again, and Kasuf reluctantly passed him back into Daniel's arms, where the baby had already spent much of the last day. Unless they found Kheb sometime soon, Daniel suspected he would be spending quite a bit of time here, trying to make sense of a baby that oscillated between disturbingly quiet and loudly inconsolable. Communication, he was learning, was much more complicated when the other party was an infant.
"Elder, if you would like to spend the night here, I can show you to a room," he offered."General Hammond would welcome you and Tobay."
But Kasuf shook his head. "I should return to our people, Dan'yel. Hammond says that he will soon send a group of men to help us bury the chaapa'ai again."
"Not to bury it," Daniel said quickly, because that thought was unbearable. "Simply a protective shield that they will build. SG-8 will show Tobay and the other Guards how it works, but no one will be able to reach Abydos through the chaapa'ai again against your wishes."
"Then the mineral mines--"
"They will try not to disturb you," Daniel promised, knowing that Kasuf didn't care about the naquadah, as such, but also knowing that the mines had played such an important part of their history of slavery that there would, of course, be some who were unhappy to have anything to do with it. "The Tau'ri have ways of extracting the mineral more easily than Nagadans did in Ra's service, so you need not fear that our people will be forced to work there again. You have the communicator, yes? If anything is wrong, you or Tobay can contact General Hammond through the chaapa'ai."
Kasuf nodded but didn't make a move to leave. "You will return to us, Dan'yel?"
"I must first help my teacher here, so we can find Kheb. I promise to keep Shifu safe. I will return to Abydos when we know more." He adjusted Shifu's weight in his arms. "With hope, one day we will bring Sha'uri and Skaara back to you, as well as the child."
"We will feel safer, knowing that one of our people is ensuring the Tau'ri do not forget us." He glanced once more at the again-docile infant. "Dan'yel...we understand my children are used by demons. But...please, ask the people here not to hurt them."
Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted when Shifu let out a loud whine. He shifted the baby again until he settled once more in the crook of Daniel's arm. "They already know, Elder. The people who search for them are...are like..." He cast about for a word that could adequately describe people like Jack and Teal'c and Sam, then settled on the closest word of kinship that he had in this tongue. "They have become like brothers and sisters to me, and they were chosen from the best warriors and scholars in this nation. I know they will do everything they can. I will do everything that I can, I promise."
"That is enough for me," Kasuf said, patting him on the arm. "Now, will you come with me to the chaapa'ai? Tobay will want to bid you farewell before we leave." Daniel nodded and tried to put down his baby brother, only to stop when Shifu began to whimper again. "Bring him with you. Tobay would look on the son of Sha'uri, as well."
Tobay grinned when Daniel entered the 'gate room with Kasuf, Shifu in his arms. He waited until Kasuf was exchanging respectful farewells with General Hammond, then leaned in close to tease, "What a lovely wife you make, Dan'yel."
Daniel flushed a little but didn't bother with a retort as he held the baby out for Tobay to see. "Tobay, this is Sharemes, known as Shifu." A flicker of Tobay's eyes was all he needed to know that Tobay saw Sha'uri, as well, in the baby's features. "The Tau'ri will shelter him until we find him a safe haven."
"Good," Tobay declared, touching the baby's arm before nodding. "Keep him safe. This new world of yours is an strange place, brother."
Daniel paused at that, trying to decide whether there was an accusation hidden in there, but before he could answer, Kasuf called, "Dan'yel, we must return to Abydos now."
He dropped his gaze from Tobay and bowed carefully with baby Shifu. "Safe journey, Elder."
The general nodded. "We'll keep in touch, Kasuf." His tone softened, and he added, "Best of luck with everything on Abydos. We'll let you know the moment we learn anything about your children."
When the event horizon was shimmering in the stone ring, Kasuf and Tobay turned back once more. "Good-bye," Tobay said in English.
Daniel stood tall, because an Abydon was proud of who he was and what he did, hugging Shifu close to his chest as they disappeared into the wormhole. "Good-bye."
The wormhole disengaged.
"Mr. Jackson."
Daniel turned slowly and saw General Hammond watching him. "Sir?"
"I don't have a problem with you bringing the little one out of the infirmary," the general said, "but SG-8 is shipping out in a few minutes. You know the safe parts of this base."
"Yes, sir."
Once they were out of the embarkation room, General Hammond said, "I need to see you in my office. Go put your brother down in the infirmary and join me."
Daniel swallowed nervously but nodded and hurried to the elevator to leave Shifu in Janet and the nurses' care.
"General?" he asked when he returned and stepped in.
General Hammond looked at him very seriously from behind his desk. "Shut the door."
Quietly, Daniel obeyed and stood inside the room until the general began.
"I told you before that you'd have until now to show you could do this job. When you went to Cimmeria two days ago, you endangered yourself and three other members of this command. Do you understand that, Mr. Jackson? Do you understand what the consequences of your actions could have been?"
"Sir. Yes. I wasn't..." He bit back a protest, because it wasn't an excuse, and he knew it. "Yes, sir. I understand."
"I want you to say it."
"They could have been killed," Daniel said, the horror of that still not completely done sinking in, because as careless as he'd been, he hadn't been thinking of the danger to SG-1 when he'd led them to Cimmeria. "We all could have been. I could have gotten them killed if something had gone wrong."
The general nodded seriously. "All of you could have died. Then again...this was an exceptional circumstance. I have family and grandchildren of my own. I understand the 'why' of what you did and what it meant to you, and we managed to achieve a significant victory as a result. But if it happens again, I won't accept any excuses for misconduct."
"I understand," Daniel said again.
"Now," General Hammond said, "you're not the only person under my command who's made mistakes, especially in personal situations. But, considering your history and background, I think it's safe to say that it's more likely for you than for most that you'll stumble on something off-world that could be construed as personal. It's a concern my superiors had when I spoke to them on your behalf--that, your age aside, you were at the SGC for personal reasons and might not be able to remain objective."
Daniel waited for him to go on, knowing there had to be more.
General Hammond folded his hands on his desk. "For now, you'll go to Abydos if the teams there need help, but you're grounded from anything else off-world. That includes simple research missions. If I'm convinced you can put feelings aside in difficult situations, I'll reevaluate that. On base, you'll continue to do what you have been, but your first job is to find out as much as you can about Kheb or anything else that relates to your brother. That's what you need to focus on."
"Yes, sir," Daniel said again. He would have requested it, anyway, because he didn't want to go off-world for days at a time and leave Shifu alone, even if there were medical professionals who would watch him, but it was different when he knew it was meant as a disciplinary measure. Still, if this was a sort of probation, that meant it was temporary, and the very roots of the word meant he still had a chance to prove himself.
"You've never given me any reason not to trust you, your loyalties, or your abilities, Mr. Jackson," General Hammond said. "But like anyone here, I need to know I can trust your judgment, too, in any situation. Aside from this incident, you've done extraordinarily well handling everything we've asked of you. But don't forget the position you're in: you have an obligation to Abydos and your family, but you have an obligation to us, too. While you're here, you work for Dr. Rothman and me. Your orders come from us and, whenever you're off-world, from your commanding officer."
"Yes, sir," Daniel said. "I won't forget. Thank you for... Thank you."
General Hammond nodded. "You'll be issued identification as an employee of the Department of the Air Force and all other pertinent documentation in the next few days. We've had records created for you saying that you're an emancipated minor from abroad doing a research internship--you understand what that means?"
"I understand. I'll study my cover in case I need it."
"Good. Your new SGC ID card will grant you access to any area of the base open to Dr. Rothman, as well as your quarters, and you will be required to carry identification on your person at all times. Do you have any questions?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, not that I can think of now."
"All right. Dismissed. And, Daniel," the general added, "you've landed in a difficult position with the Harsesis child, and I'm not insensitive to that. You have my word that we'll do everything we can to keep him safe and straighten this out."
"Yes, sir," Daniel said.
From the next chapter (" Cruvus, Part I"):
"Good," Robert said absently, then, as if either of them might be unaware of it, added, "We haven't gotten anywhere on the Kheb thing."
Note: People from various nations were brought to Abydos before the Stargate was buried behind Ra. This included East Asian nations, and they settled in another town distant from Nagada. Thousands of years caused their word for "teacher" to take on the meaning of "enlightenment," in the spiritual, intellectual, and physically luminous sense. So. "Shifu" means "light" in a dialect of Abydonian.
I have no idea where the name "Shifu" actually came from. I'm assuming the writers were at the very least influenced by the Chinese word meaning, more or less, "teacher," but as for "light?" I made it Abydonian because canon!Daniel knew it, while my Googling skills are stumped. Please let me know if you know that it really does mean "light" in some language--I'd be interested to know.